


old and new friends

by towokuwusatsuwu



Series: Femslash February 2018: Tokusatsu Edition [7]
Category: Kamen Rider Fourze
Genre: Elementary School, F/F, Motherhood, Old Friends, Pre-Femslash, Reunions, Single Parents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-09
Updated: 2018-02-09
Packaged: 2019-03-15 21:42:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13622223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/towokuwusatsuwu/pseuds/towokuwusatsuwu
Summary: Haruka meets someone she never expected to see again in her son's principal's office.





	old and new friends

Haruka straightens her glasses in her rearview mirror before she heads toward the front doors of Amanogawa Elementary, telling herself to remain calm and that boys are bound to fight. Boys like her son, especially, who never knows how to take anything lying down but also starts more than his fair share of trouble when given half a chance. Natsuji had been the product of a marriage that was doomed to fail, and she had fought hard to gain full custody of her son. She just had no way of knowing how horribly the divorce was going to affect him.

Principal Hayami sounded compassionate enough on the phone, and Haruka tends to believe him when the two of them speak. A single father himself, he understands the difficulties that come with raising a child by oneself and for what it was worth, he really seemed to like her son. Despite his temper, Natsuji was incredibly intelligent.

If only he would be smart enough to start fights  _ after _ school instead of in the middle of the school day, they might be in the clear more often than this.

When Haruka enters the office, Principal Hayami offers her a slight smile. Natsuji perks up in the chair he’s sitting in, his lower lip swollen but not split. It looks as though whoever had stopped the fight had been able to do so in more than enough time to prevent any actual damage, which is a relief. The nurses at the local children’s hospital were starting to worry.

“Get into a fight?” Haruka kneels down, combing her fingers through her son’s hair. “You know, there’s a club in the community center for martial arts if you actually want to learn how to fight.”

Natsuji pouts up at her and shakes his head. “I don’t want to.”

Hayami raises an eyebrow at her. “Community center? Tatsugami-sensei, I’m guessing? I just enrolled my son. You know, Natsuji-kun, you might really enjoy it. You see, Ryusei over here is already enrolled. If you really want to fight, you can do it there.”

The other boy puffs his chest out. “I’m gonna get a black belt soon.”

“I’m sorry for being late. Traffic was awful on the way here and I was already on the other side of the city when you called.” The other woman who sweeps into the office is all chestnut hair whirling around her as she rushes around the front of Ryusei’s chair, kneeling down in front of him. “Honey, starting another fight? Why would you do this? What happened?”

“From what the teacher told me, the two of them were arguing over a book and it devolved into a physical fight. They were in the library, so luckily there were plenty of people there to stop them.” Hayami tents his fingers over the calendar on his desk, looking between the two of them. “I know what it’s like to raise an only child, so I understand when these incidents happen.”

The other woman shakes her head. “I’m so sorry, Principal. Ryusei doesn’t usually escalate things like this.”

“It might have been my son’s fault, actually.” Haruka smoothes her hand through Natsuji’s hair, not wanting him to get too upset at being blamed. “He’s much more likely to do so.”

“In any case, the two boys are not badly hurt and no one else was hurt, so I’m not considering this to be a problem. However, it might be best if the two of them went home for the day and relaxed.” Hayami spreads his hands wide, and Haruka thinks they might actually be tied on this; it would be better if they did go home if both of them are even slightly upset still about what happened. “I’ve already excused the absences. You can get their bags and take them home.”

As soon as they leave the office, Ryusei’s mother takes Haruka by the shoulder. “You look familiar. Have you gone to this high school? Volleyball and kickboxing clubs?”

The mention of her old clubs sends Haruka reeling more than this day has already tried to. “I have, yes, and I was in both of them. Why? Do you know me?”

“Well, not  _ really _ , not like that. Do you remember the girl who was always bothering you for interviews after your volleyball matches?” The woman smiles and Haruka blinks at her, trying to reach back for those memories. “Sonoda Sarina. I used to be with the school newspaper.”

The school news—  _ Oh. _ Haruka can’t help but smile slightly at the thought; Sarina had been in the class below hers and was in charge of gathering interviews for the newspaper, which meant she attended nearly every sports event faithfully except the few she absolutely could not make. Haruka remembers her somewhat fondly; having a kouhai who kept after her so faithfully had made her feel more important than she had any right to, but she still appreciates the feeling. When she nods, Sarina’s lips lift in a wide smile that lights up her entire (very pretty) face.

“I haven’t seen you in ages. There was a reunion a year or so back, but I was busy that night.” Instead of explaining, Haruka just sets her hand on top of Natsuji’s head. He had a performance that night, and no way was she missing out on his first big one for something like high school.

Sarina laughs and shakes her head, touching her own son’s hair as well. “No need to worry about it, I didn’t end up going either. Someone here had a martial arts match and I wasn’t going to miss that for the world. I haven’t missed a single one yet, right, Ryusei?”

Ryusei looks up at her, shaking his head. “No, Mom. If we have to leave, can we go get food?”

“I don’t see why not, as long as you understand this isn’t a  _ reward _ and what you did isn’t okay. No more fighting, I mean it,” Sarina says sternly, then seems to consider. “Haruka, are you busy? Maybe the boys can make up over lunch. That way, we won’t have any problems from them.”

Natsuji wrinkles his nose at the thought but Haruka seriously considers it; her son has issues at best making friends that he doesn’t end up getting into fights with later on, and the fact of the matter is, her day is now open since she took off from work to pick him up. Besides, even if he doesn’t want to go, it might serve to remind him that  _ he _ is the reason he had to leave school today, and if he doesn’t stop trying to fight other kids, serious consequences might arise.

“That actually sounds like not a bad idea,” she says, and he huffs at her and folds his arms, though she highly doubts that will last for long. “There’s a cafe not far from the school.”

“Oh, I think I know the one you’re talking about.” Sarina brightens once more and Haruka has to admit that while she had been very pretty in high school, she’s absolutely bloomed as an adult. “I’ll meet you there. Come on, Ryusei, let’s go get your things.”

As soon as they round the corner, Haruka takes Natsuji in the other direction and sighs when he grips her skirt, pulling on it to get her attention. “But I don’t  _ want _ to eat with Ryusei, I just want to go home. Can you just tell her I’m sick? I just want to go home.”

Haruka sighs and kneels down, framing her son’s face in her hands. “You’ll miss lunch for leaving school. You need to eat. Maybe Ryusei won’t be so bad when you get to know him.”

Natsuji pouts at her but stops arguing, so she takes him by the hand to go retrieve his bag before they meet up with Sarina and Ryusei. Not that this is the way she  _ planned  _ on spending a Tuesday afternoon, but if she can salvage the day, she plans on doing so. Besides, it might keep her son from ending up gloomy all day because she doesn’t get to see his friends.

The cafe itself is small and not very busy— it’s early, and most people have probably not quite made it to their lunch break yet. Sarina and Ryusei have already found a table, and the boy seems a lot more bright-eyed than he did before, almost bouncing up and down in his seat. He still makes a face when he sees Natsuji, one that Natsuji makes right back at him, and Haruka says a prayer that the two boys can get along just this once.

“There’s a swingset outside,” Ryusei informs them when they arrive at the table, and Haruka nods. She knows of the one, right next to the cafe and accessible through the side door. “Mom said I can go swing on it  _ but _ I had to ask you first. Do you want to go?”

Natsuji looks up at Haruka, and when she gives him a small nod, he sighs and takes his hand from hers. “I  _ guess, _ ” he says, even though she knows all too well how swings are his favorite.

She watches the boys disappear outside and sighs softly, pinching the bridge of her nose beneath her glasses as she sits across from Sarina at the table. Natsuji is a handful on his best days, but as long as this doesn’t turn into another fight, she’s more than happy for him to go spend time with someone his age. And if it gets her a moment alone with another mother who might be able to understand some of what she’s been going through lately, then she’s doubly happy for the experience. He needs to get out of the house more often anyway, and she highly doubts any child Sarina would have raised would be a bad influence on him. If anything, it’s Natsuji she needs to worry about being a bad influence.

“He’s a beautiful boy,” Sarina tells her, and Haruka smiles tiredly. Now  _ that _ is a compliment she isn’t unused to hearing, and it’s true. He takes after his grandmother on her side. “It’s so nice to see you again. I was cleaning out our attic and found some old papers and it made me wonder what you’d gotten up to over the years.”

“I’m a high school counselor at Amanogawa High.” Haruka smiles thinly; the irony is not lost on her. “Fortunately, they’re a little easier to deal with when they get older.”

Sarina leans across the table, covering Haruka’s hands with her own. They’re surprisingly soft and warm. “Don’t worry about it. Kids this age, you know… It can be hard. And it’s a lot harder on single parents than people might think. It’ll be okay. I’m sure of it.”

“Your boy seems like he’s got his head on his shoulders.” Haruka can feel the slightest quiver in her voice, the heat pooling in her cheeks. “You said he’s involved in martial arts?”

Sarina nods, taking her hands back (Haruka bites down on the inside of her cheek to stop her disappointment) and pulls a business card out of her purse. “This one. Tatsugami-sensei has worked wonders with him. He’s a kind but stern man, I think you’d like him.”

Haruka looks the business card over before tucking it into her own wallet. “Thank you. If Natsuji feels the need to try to fight with everyone, it’d serve him well to at least learn how to.”

“That’s what I told Tatsugami-sensei about Ryusei!” Sarina laughs, and Haruka’s face feels hot again. “I hope they get along well. It’d be nice for Ryusei to come out of his shell some.”

“Who knows? Maybe they’ll get along and we’ll get to see more of each other,” Haruka ventures.

Sarina smiles small but tips her a wink. “We can always spend time together even if they don’t.”

The boys only return to the restaurant when Haruka goes out to tell them the food is at the table, and even then it’s more than a little unwillingly. But the two of them are chattering animatedly with each other and when Haruka dares to mention the martial arts classes later that night when they’re home, Natsuji’s face lights up and he immediately begs her to call the sensei and ask if there are open spots. Haruka doesn’t ask; she doesn’t need to know what changed.

While she’s on hold, she remembers Sarina’s words from the cafe.  _ We can always spend time together even if they don’t. _

She thinks she’d like that a lot.


End file.
